Which OHL Players Have Best Chances of Sticking in NHL this Year?

The OHL preseason is now in full swing and many of the top players in the league are off to their respective NHL rookie camps.

A successful run there will lead to a main camp invite, and perhaps
beyond. It’s commonplace for highly regarded junior players, especially
those drafted in the first two rounds, to earn a main camp spot and
maybe even extend their stay into the first few weeks of the NHL regular
season before they’re ultimately sent back.

While it’s still rare to see a player move on from the OHL before
they turn 20, it’s not unheard of. Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid are
the go-to examples as they were first overall picks and punched their
one-way tickets to the NHL.

Aside from them, players like Sam Bennett, Jared McCann, Robby
Fabbri, Mitch Marner, Travis Konecny and Lawson Crouse became NHL
mainstays a year after they were drafted.

The talent pool appears thinner this year with few players expected
to make the leap, but here’s a look at a few players out of the OHL who
may have a chance if their performances from last season were any
indication.

Mikhail Sergachev, Windsor Spitfires/Tampa Bay Lightning: He
has developed into a premier two-way defenceman through two years in the
OHL and could be considered for a spot on the Lightning this year.

The talented Russian started last season with the Montreal Canadiens
before he was sent back to Windsor, where he was a key piece behind
their Memorial Cup win. Shortly after, he was the

centrepiece behind the Montreal Canadiens’ efforts to acquire Jonathan Drouin from the Tampa Bay Lightning over the summer.

Taylor Raddysh, Erie Otters/Tampa Bay Lightning: After
establishing himself as a dominant power forward with the OHL champion
and Memorial Cup finalist Otters, Raddysh will look to show that he’s
strong enough to stick with the Lightning.

His 109 points trailed only teammate Alex DeBrincat in the OHL
scoring race and he starred for Team Canada at the World Junior
Championships before putting up a six-point game during the Memorial
Cup.

Olli Juolevi, London Knights/Vancouver Canucks: Like
Sergachev, he was a top-10 pick (fifth overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft
and has a strong chance of moving up to the NHL with the Canucks.

Granted, has had a terrible past two seasons, but Juolevi is a blue
chip prospect and has been held in high regard by the Knights because of
his strong skating and playmaking abilities.

He’s also played in the last two World Junior Championships, captaining Team Finland last year.

Michael McLeod, Mississauga Steelheads/New Jersey Devils: You’d be hard pressed to find a harder working player than this New Jersey Devils prospect.

From the middle of February onwards, McLeod took his game to another
level and led the Steelheads in playoff scoring on their way to the OHL
final. New Jersey has some holes to fill and the speedy forward can fill
any role necessary, as he showed in limited action at the World
Juniors.

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